The Lanka Premier League (LPL) will also give the much needed exposure to the local players especially the ones who are looking for a way to gain recognition to the Sri Lanka team according to the coach of the Kandy Tuskers team Hashan Tillekaratne.
The last LPL was held in 2012 and Tillekaratne was the manager of the Ruhunu Royals team and that time too it offered valuable experience to the local players.
“It is after eight long years that we are getting the opportunity to take maximum advantage of the exposure. If we can conduct this type of tournament continuously we will get good results after about three years,” noted Tillekaratne.
“Our players will be able to share ideas with the foreign players in the dressing room which will be valuable for the future of our players.”
The Kandy Tuskers will be minus Chris Gayle the most experienced T/20 player with the highest number of sixes to his credit who has pulled out due to an injury.
But the other foreign players in the side are Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, the Pakistani fast bowler Sohail Tanvir, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Naveen-ul-Haq from Afghanistan joining the local players Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Dilruwan Perera and Lasith Embuldeniya who will commence practices at Pallekelle from November 22 onwards.
All players have to stay in the hotel for their quarantine period doing their gymnasium training that began on Thursday. The team will move to Hambantota and begin their three day outdoor training from November 23 onwards.
Meanwhile the England cricket team is expected to visit Sri Lanka in January for a Test series while SLC is also planning to conduct a Women’s T/20 tournament with foreign players.
“These opportunities should not go waste due to the Covid-19. These tournaments are also good for the tourist industry,” pointed out Tillekaratne.
His support staff are Nuwan Kulasekera (fast bowling coach), Lanka de Silva (fielding coach), Farveez Maharoof (manager) and Dharshana Weerasinghe (trainer).
Kandy Tuskers:
Kusal Perera (Captain), Kusal Mendis, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Asela Gunaratne,
Naveen-ul-Haq, Kamindu Mendis, Dilruwan Perera, Priyamal Perera, Kavishka Anjula, Lasith Embuldeniya, Lahiru Samarakoon,
Nishan Madushka,
Chamikara Edirisinghe,
Ishan Jayaratne, Irfan
Pathan, Rahmanullah
Gurbaz, Sohail Tanvir, Munaf Patel and Naveen-ul-Haq.